Fitzpatrick Referrals was founded in 2005 by Professor Noel Fitzpatrick, whose vision was to create an environment where it would be truly possible to marry compassionate care with excellence in veterinary medicine.

The Centre in Eashing is located against a beautiful backdrop in rural Surrey and specialises in the treatment of Orthopaedic and Neurological conditions in small companion animals, it also boasts a state of the art Rehabilitation Centre within the same building.

We passionately believe that every single animal entrusted into our care should be treated as if it was our own. We promise never to advise treatment just because it is possible, but only when it is right for your animal friend at that moment in time.

Launched on 2nd September 2015, the new state of the art Fitzpatrick Referrals animal hospital based in Guildford is the first of its kind in Europe and aims to change the way cancer is treated in companion animals.

Whilst this building will impress and contain the latest equipment, it is the team of people inside that makes it truly outstanding.

We have brought together world class medical and surgical oncologists with extensive experience in advanced radiation procedures, and the best nursing teams in order to gain a better understanding of animal cancer and to use that knowledge to deliver the very best treatment to animals.

We aim to deliver all of the options to all of the animals all of the time, and we aim to work with our human colleagues to better inform the treatment of cancer for everyone.

With Fitzpatrick Referrals Orthopaedics and Neurology, we will also be the only centre in Europe offering custom-designed 3D-printed limb and joint salvage prostheses.

Refer a Patient

Fitzpatrick Referrals Oncology Service focuses on offering advice, options and therapy to families who want to know what exists in modern cancer care for animals.
This is a centre where the vision of improving the quality of animals’ lives and ending cancer in pets drives all we do.

Soft tissue surgery refers to any type of surgery for treatment of diseases which are not orthopaedic or neurologic. As such, it includes surgery of most organs, the stomach, intestines, liver, kidneys, bladder, lungs, heart, as well as surgery of other soft parts of the body, including skin, muscle, fat and so on.

Our specialists have extensive training in Interventional Radiology and the team offer unrivalled excellence in this field for you and your pet. Our specialists are experts in delivering leading edge techniques to treat animals with conditions that were previously considered untreatable.

Lilly and Tara’s TPLO surgery

Lilly is a seven-year-old Boxer who lives with the Stewart-Andris family and loves nothing more than causing havoc with her five-year-old sister Tara. They were both referred to Fitzpatrick Referrals at the same time by their family vet in November 2016 with pelvic limb lameness and were admitted by Russell Yeadon with suspected cruciate ligament injuries.

On clinical examination, Lilly was affected by right pelvic limb lameness and pain affecting her right stifle with effusion and medial buttress formation (fibrosis). Slight cranial drawer instability was noted in flexion. Tara was affected by mild bilateral pelvic limb lameness and pain on extension of her stifles along with effusion and medial buttress formation (fibrosis). She had a greater degree of muscle wastage on her right pelvic limb than her left.

After a night spent in the comfort of their own beds at home, Lilly and Tara returned the following day for surgery. They were anaesthetised a few minutes apart and transferred to the imaging team for radiography.

X-rays confirmed evidence of right stifle joint effusion in Lilly and bilateral stifle joint effusion in Tara, as well as mild osteophytosis in both. These findings were consistent with a diagnosis of cranial cruciate ligament tears for both dogs. Lilly and Tara were both prepared for surgery and successively underwent the same procedure on their right stifles, with Tara operated less than an hour after Lilly.

Russell performed a mini-medial sub-patellar arthrotomy of the right stifle, which confirmed a 90% rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament for Lilly and a 50% tear for Tara. Meniscal tears were not identified in either dog. Both dogs then underwent standard tibial plateau-levelling osteotomy (TPLO). The osteotomies were stabilised with Synthes 3.5mm 6-hole TPLO plate and screws, with the ‘small’ variant of this plate being used for Lilly to suit her more delicate bone anatomy. Postoperative radiographs confirmed satisfactory alignment and stability.

Post-op X-rays of Tara’s stifle following TPLO surgery

Post-op X-rays of Lilly stifle following TPLO surgery.

Following the surgery, Lilly and Tara recovered in adjacent kennels and walked outside together for toilet breaks and fresh air. 24 hours after the surgery, Lilly and Tara started to weight-bear on their operated limbs and were comfortable enough to go home with anti-inflammatory medication and exercise restriction.

Lilly and Tara recovering at home after surgery at Fitzpatrick Referrals.

Seven weeks postoperatively, Lilly and Tara had recovered well with significantly reduced lameness. Both seemed comfortable on stifle joint examination and manipulation. Follow-up radiographs confirmed good positioning of the metal implant and satisfactory osteotomy healing.

Lilly and Tara have since then literally come on in leaps and bounds and now live a fully functional and happy life together in their family home. Fitzpatrick Referrals continue to work with their family vet as part of the care team for Lilly and Tara to manage postoperative reassessments and monitor their progress.

“My journey with Fitzpatrick Referrals has been epic. Four boxers over a period of ten years, each of which have experienced the little bit of the ‘magic’ that Fitzpatrick Referrals offer. Roxy on recovery from a car accident and then consequently Scarlet with two TPLOs, Tara with one TPLO and Lilly with two TPLOs.

From the caring attitude of the receptionists to the nurses and vets, there has always been a sympathetic and understanding ear coupled with a pragmatic approach to achieving the best for each of my girls. I have always known that the advice and treatment offered will be what is best for them.

In Lilly and Tara’s case, having the same surgery performed on the same day proved to be an experience. Handing over not only one of your dogs, but both certainly left me feeling exposed. Lilly and Tara are rarely separated, but knowing that they would be close to each other during the recovery and the care and attention given to them made it easier to leave them in Fitzpatrick Referrals’ capable and caring hands. As a result, they are both continuing to enjoy life to the fullest.”

Lilly and Tara’s mum, Sharon

“Lilly and Tara are gorgeous dogs who are obviously very attached both to each other and to their human family. They are both very affectionate and enthusiastic but also have very distinct personalities, sometimes competing with one another for attention.

Both dogs were very disabled by their cruciate ligament problems before surgery, and it is really rewarding to be able to get them back to their usual active lifestyles.”